First Nations (Alberta) Technical

Services Advisory Group

Be a leader with integrity by cooperatively providing a safe sustainable
future for First Nations through quality technical services."
Fire Program
Hydrant Flows & Calculations
Water supply
Types of Water Supply
Water distribution systems
Types of Hydrants
National Building Code of Canada 2005
Hydrant calculations and flows
Hydrant color codes
Questions
Water Supply
1 of the most critical elements of fighting a
fire and w/o it, its not even a fight.
Fire trucks, hoses, and appliances are
useless.
Where it comes from and how much is
available are key questions we ask
ourselves
Water supply cont..
Water supply dictates the Fire Flow
Capacity
Pressure, is the force, or weight (kgs or
lbs) of water measured over an area
(sq.cm or sq.in)
The Fire Flow Requirement is the amount
of water required for putting out the fire.
Water Supply cont..
Knowing the amount of water available
and how much is needed lets fire fighters
select the right strategy, tactics, hose
appliances and fire streams.
All are interrelated; a large fire without
sufficient water leads to failure, and
property and possible lives will be lost as a
result.
Types of Water Supply
Ground Water-Aquifers
Surface Water
Mobile Water Supply Apparatus
Water Distribution Systems
Water is supplied in 3 ways.
1) Gravity fed, the water source is at a
higher elevation
2) The next is a pumped system
3) And a combination gravity-pumped
system
Water distribution cont..
Types of Hydrants
Wet Barrel, have water in the barrel up to
the valves of each port. These are used in
areas not subject to freezing
temperatures; primarily in California and
Florida.
California Hydrant
California Hydrant design
Types of Hydrants
Dry Barrel, are used in areas where freezing
temperatures could damage the hydrant. It
uses a valve at the base of the hydrant to
control water flow to all outlets.
When the dry barrel hydrant valve is closed
or partially open, a drain allows the water
to drain from the hydrant preventing
damage from freezing.
Dry Barrel Hydrant
Dry Barrel design
Types of hydrants
Dry Hydrant, is not really a hydrant but a
connection point for Drafting from a static
water source such as a pond or a stream.
Dry Hydrant
Dry Hydrant design
NBC 2005 Water Supply
Part 3
Fire Protection, Occupant Safety and
Accessibility
Division B 3.2.5.7 Water Supply
1) Every building shall be provided with an
adequate water supply for fire fighting.
(See Appendix A.)
A-3.2.5.7.(1) Water Supply
The intent of this sentence is that an
adequate water supply for fire fighting be
readily available and of sufficient volume
and pressure to enable emergency
response personnel to control fire growth
so as to enable safe evacuation of
occupants and the conduct of search &
rescue operations, prevent the fire from
spreading to adjacent buildings, and
provide a limited measure of property
protection.
A-3.2.5.7.(1) Water Supply
cont..
The volume of on-site water supply is
dependent on the building size,
construction, occupancy, exposure, and
environmental impact potential, and
should be sufficient to allow at least 30
minutes of fire department hose stream
use.
Quick calculation!
Typical triple combination pumper found
on First Nation fire dept.
4000 lpm pump X 30 min = 120,000 litres
Convert to gallons X 0.2642 = 31,704
gallons in 30 minutes.
Calculation cont
I wonder if wed have enough capacity to
pump that much water and what if it takes
longer to extinguish?
Hydrant Calculations & Flows
Flow tests on hydrants
The most accurate test is made using 2
hydrants. A gauge is attached to an outlet;
this gauge shows normal operating
pressure on the hydrant and main with no
water flowing. i.e. flushing the toilet,
washer, etc.
Flow tests on hydrants cont..
Then when water is discharged from
another hydrant this gauge will then show
the residual or pressure left in the main.
From pressures read at the two hydrants,
the fire flow available at any residual can
be calculated.
Flow tests on hydrants cont..
Flow tests cont..
Attach static gauge and turn on hydrant
and we may get a reading of 50 psi.
Attach flow meter or pitot gauge and flow
water at the other hydrant, take reading of
flow.
As the other hydrant flows take another
static reading and measure the drop in
pressure.
Flow test cont..
Note*
It is important that Residual Pressure
should never drop below 140 kpa or (20
psi)
Flow test contcoefficients
Flow test cont.
Formula used:
Q = 0.067 x c x d of x FP
Q = where Q is quantity in gallons,
C is the coefficient of the outlet in
millimeters squared
And FP is the square root of pressure in
kpa
Flow test cont
Q = 0.067 x 0.9 x 65 x 350
Q = 0.067 x 0.9 x 4225 x 18.71
= 4767 lpm
Flow test cont
Recent flow test examples:
0.067 x 0.9 x 4225 x 11.84 or (20psi)
= 3017 lpm
0.067 x 0.9 x 4225 x 3.16 or (10 psi)
= 805 lpm
Color Codes for hydrants
Any Questions?